Wire-line clamp



' P. M. REA.

l fwmE LINE CLAMP. APPLICATKON FILED MAY.8, i919.

1,839,419, Patented May 1920. HEI-:Ts- E T 1.

, APPLICATION FILED MAY a. 1919.

y P. M. REA. WIRE LIIIF- CLAMP.

1111611101 May11,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- P. M. REA.

WIRE LINE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED III/'IY 8, 1919.

1,339,419, Patented May 11,1920.

. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I *Im UIIII II {PHILI ivi. REA, F WEST CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

wma-'LINE CLAMP.

My invention relates to` cable clamps, es-v pecially wire cables in drilling' oil and Artesian wells.

vsoA

The primary object of the invention is to provide a clainpcapable of exerting great gripping action upon the cable so as to securely hold the saine. Contributory to this general object, it is my purpose to' provide a clamp in the form of a linkwork or toggle mechanism. Another vobject is to provide means for preventing the racking of the linkwork. and instead, equalize the amount ofr angular movement of' theA jaws about their pivots. Another object is' to provide and advantageousI form of combined lug and liner or ""slip`the lug for supporting the clamp and the slip for engaging the ca-Y ble. Other objects contributing to the general'electivenessof the device will become apparent as the description proceeds.

I accomplish my objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figures v1 and 2 are top plan views of the complete device showing certain of the parts in section. Fig. 1 shows the'parts in acting o1" gripping position and Fig. 2 with the jaws thrown open.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the de\ ice showing, among other things, the manner" of suspending the' same.

Figxl is a sectional view on the line 4 4;

Fig; 5 the principal partsof the device showing themseparated 'and illustrating their .cos operating relationship.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the function of the equalizing gears which prevent the link work from racking.

-Like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

The three largest single members of the device are the'two jaws l, 1, and the connecting link 2, shown vseparately in perspective in Fig. 5. These jaws are pivotally connected to the link at opposite ends thereof by means of the pins 3, 3. In the Specification of Letters Patent.

is a .perspective view of three of Patented May 11, i920.

application mea my s, 1919. serial No. 295,750.

design shown said pins are retained in position by means of heads 3a at one end and cotter pins 3b at the other, as best shown in Figs. 3 and el.. The inner faces of the jaws have recesses 5 which forni seats for the liners or slips 6. These are interchangeable and engage the cable or wire linev 7. By preference they are drop foi-gings and terminate at the'upper end in lugs or hooks 8 adapted to be suspended from any suitable kind of supporting rigging 9. While the form of the lugs may be varied I have illustrated a particularly advantageous type in which the lugs are integral with the slips and form closed hooks, the outer ends havshoulders 11 which engage the top and fingers ,12 which engage the sides of the jaws and therefore serve to brace the parts against the jaw. These characteristics are well illustrated in Figs. 8 and 4l. The slips and lugs are secured to the jaws by means of pins 14 mounted in lugs 15 formed at the bottom of the jaws. They are held in place by cotter pins 16 or other suitable fastening elements. The inner faces of the slips 6 have channels 17 which forni bearing` surfaces for the cable when the jaws are closed. v

The recesses 5 are preferably so located that when the jaws are in closed or `gripping position as shown in Fig. l, they will lie near the plane which passes through the axes of the jaw pivots 3, 3.. This increases the gripping or toggle action of thejaws upon the cable.

The connecting link" 2 is arched or bbwed as shown, thus enabling it to pass tij) one side of the slips for avoiding them and the cable. i

ln my design the slips are of considerable length. thus gripping a. considerable length of the cable. In order to distributie the strain the jaws are branched. and the link 2 fits between the branches. By preference, the link 2 is branched also that is, is formed in two parts rigidly connecte-.ll together by a vertical and dcsirably integral connecting element 2 shown in perspective in Fig. 5. For the purpose of-imparting a finished appearance and rendering thcw device more convenient to handle, fillerblocks 2b are formed at the top and `bottornof the link to come between the adjacent surfaces of the jaws, as best shown in Fig. 1.

ln the design illustrated.y the jaws have three branches and the middle branches are Aspect to the connecting link.

provided with gear teeth 20.` These inter-v mesh .and constitute segmental gears, the axes whereof are coincident with the axes of the pivot pins 3. The function of these gears is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6. It will be evident that in a linkwork consistiiig merelyk of two jaws pivoted to the free ends of a link. the mechanism would rack-that is, the parts, being unconiined in their movement, would fail to insure the registeringl ot' the slips 6 when the jaws are closed. The jaws could readily move longitudinally relatively `to cach other as illustrated in Fig. -1 have prevented this by providing said segmental gears 20, which equalize the amountof rot-ation of the jaws relatively to the connecting link 2. Differcntly stated, the segmental gears by meshing with each other compelI the .two jaws to make equal angular movements with re- Hence, it is unnecessary for the operator to exercise any particular care in operating the clamp to see to it that the slips register when the jaws are closed. This is accomplished automatically by means of the segmental gears.

In common with other devices of this character the jaws in my clamp are held closed by means of a yoke 24 ot any suitable design. In the example illustrated this yokeis supported at one end upon a block 25 mounted ,between lugs 26, 26 formed at thecend of the arm 1fL of one of the jaws.

The yoke is pivotally attached to this block and is so formed that its far end lInay slip over the outer end of the arm ll" which is integral with the other jaw of the clamp.

' The block; is provided with a clamping screw 27, the inner end of which abuts the side of arm l and makes it possible to draw the arms l?, lb as closely together as may be desired to obtain the necessary clamping pressure upon the cable. This screw is provided 4'with a handle 28 by which it may be rotated.

The o eration will now be readily understood. Vhen the arms l, ll are brought toward each other they cause the jaws to rotate about their pivot pins 3 and bring the slips 6 into engagement with the cable. As a result of the fact that when theslips are in contact with the cable they `will lie near the plane defined by the axes'of the pivot pins 3, 3, a very high degree ofY pressure of the slips upon the cable may be generated through the exerting of only a normalamount of pressure oiE the yoke 24 upon the arms l, lb. This is due to the toggle like action of the device, the gripping forcev or pressure of the slips upon the cablel being almost at right angles to the direction of motion of the slips at the moment, due to the rotation of the jawsabout the pivot pins.y Different-.ly stated, when the jaws are closed, any additional rotary `movement of the jaws will produce a much greater movement ofthe slip angularlly than in a direcpermits them also to avoid interference with the cable or slips.

My construction lends itself readily to the use of pivot pins 3 of large diameter. The result is that there is practically no danger of shearing the pins when vthe device is in active use.

Having thus ldescribed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

j 1. A cable clamp having a link, jaws pivoted to the ends of the link and adapted to grip the cable between them, the pivotal axes being parallel to the gripped portion of the cable, Aarms for rotating the jaws' about their pivots 'and holding them in gripping position, and gears rigidly fasy tened to said jaws and meshing with each other for compelling the jaws always to rotate equal amounts about their pivots.

2. A cable clamp having a link, a pair of jaws pivote'd to the link at the ends thereof, said jaws having recesses in their inner faces for the reception and engagement of the cable, said recesses being so placed that when the jaws are in closed, gripping position the said recesses will be near the plane defined by the axes of the jaw pivots, arms rigidly fastened to and extending from said jaws whereby they.'may be rotated about their pivots, and meansfor equalizing the amount of rotation of the jaws about their pivots.

3. A cable clamp having a link, a pair of jaws pivoted to the link at the ends thereof, said jaws having recesses in their inner faces for the reception andk engagement of les the cable, said recesses being so'placed that approximately in the plane containing the' ares of the pivot when the jaws are in gripping position, and means for equalizing the amount of rotation of the jaws about their i pivots, said equalizing means being located chiey at one side of said plane for noninterierence with the cable when the jaws are in gripping position. j

- 5. A structure as specified in'c'laim 4 in which the equalizing means are in the form` of intermeshing gears rigidly fastened to v the jaws.

6. A cable clamp comprising a link, a pair of jaws pivcted to the ends of the link, the inner faces of the jaws being adapted to grip the cable between them, a portion of the'inner faces of the jaws being curv'ed and concentric with .the pivots, the jawsbeing branched and adapted to receive the link k between their branches, filler blocks on said link for filling the spaces between the curved innerl spaces ofthe jaws when the vlatterare in gripping'position, and means for equalizing the amount of rotation of said jaws about'their pivots.

7. A clamp for. gripping upright cables for well drilling and similar' purposes, said clamp having a link, a pair of jaws pivoted to the ends of the link thereby forming av pivot jointed link-work, the pivotal axis being parallel to the gripped portion of the cable, said jaws having recesses in their .the jaws, said slip inner faces,lslips in the form of liners for s being adapted to seat in said recesses and adapted to engage the cable, arms for rotating the jaws about 'their pivots and holding them in gripping position, and a (pair o-segmental spur gears rigidly fastene to the respective jaws and meshing with each other for compelling the jaws always to rotate equal amounts about 'their pivots to thereby prevent the linkwork from racking and bring the acting surfaces ofthe slips into register with each other vwhen the jaws are closed. j

8. A cable clamp comprising a link, a pair of jaws pivoted to the ends of said link, said jaws having recesses in the inner faces, slips in the form of liners for the jaws, said .slips being adapted t0 seat in ,said recesses and adapted to engage a cable and hooks scribed my name.

l l PHILIP M. REA. 

